


Falling In Love

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 19:37:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6579673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She now knew the attraction between them was not a figment of her sleep-deprived imagination.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling In Love

What could she possibly be thinking? She was not thinking…that was the whole point. If she allowed rational thought to creep into her head then she would run back to her room, turn out the lights, and hide under the covers. Maybe she would even find a substitute; someone she knew would follow her lead. It might be nice but it would not be this. Nothing happened yet and she had to fight her body for control. CJ Cregg reached the boiling point, and tonight it was now or never.

She noticed it almost two months ago, but it might have been going on longer. The senior staff was playing poker, like they always try to do two Wednesdays a month. There were many laughs that night; the President’s inane trivia was in rare form. So was CJ…the President would set them up and she would knock them down. It had been a long time since she stretched her comedic chops but she knew she knocked them dead. Both Josh and Leo were seen wiping tears from their eyes on more than one occasion.

Her being center stage for a comic performance was heady enough for CJ, but she also noticed something different about Leo. He brought her soda when she asked instead of his usual gripe, though always worth a chuckle, that her legs were twice as long as his. His hand and leg grazed hers a lot; CJ was still not sure if she imagined that part. She and Leo had been sitting next to each other for poker since Bartlet For America. The others whispered about them being partners in crime. Leo always laughed at the reference…once calling them Bonnie and Clyde.

Her car did not start that night. She sat in the driver’s seat in vain, turning the key repeatedly and slapping her head on the steering wheel. Leo walked over to the car and just stared at her. CJ looked up.

“Are you enjoying the show?” she asked.

“Its dead CJ, leave it here.” He said.

CJ got out, pulling her coat tighter around her.

“I'm going to walk.” She grumbled.

“No you're not.” Leo replied. “Its one o’clock in the morning and you are not going to be sauntering around the streets of DC alone.”

“Thanks dad.” CJ said as she walked to the corner.

Leo followed her.

“I’ll walk with you if you won't let me give you a ride.”

“Don’t walk with me Leo; I’ll be fine.”

Leo reached out, taking hold of her arm. She turned to look at him and the wind blew her hair in her face. Leo pushed it to the side.

“Claudia Jean, I’m walking you home. The conversation is over.”

He said it in his Leo McGarry voice…the voice that said that’s the end of the story. CJ sighed and gave in.

“Why must you be difficult?” he asked.

They were walking slow, as if it were a warm night.

“You used my whole name.” she said. “Just then you used my whole name.”

“What, is that prohibited by law?”

CJ looked at him and Leo was smiling that rare Leo smile.

“You should smile more often.” She said.

She slipped her hand in his as if it were supposed to be there. Leo squeezed it, looked at her and said nothing.

“So?” she asked.

‘So what?”

“Why don’t you smile more often?”

“Oh, you expect me to answer that? Why don’t you? We don’t exactly have the funniest jobs.”

She nodded and they walked on in silence.

“This is mine.” She said.

They walked up the stairs together. CJ still held his hand.

“I guess I owe you.” She said.

“I will make a note to call you on that someday.” Leo replied.

“Why does that scare me?” CJ leaned to kiss his cheek. “Goodnight Leopold.”

***

Two weeks later, on a Thursday, the President brought in _Sabrina_ for movie night. There was not a full house in the theatre that night. The President was there, and Charlie, Josh and Donna, Bonnie and Cathy, and some of the interns. CJ sat alone in the middle of the theatre. She had been in and out of her office but finally decided to come and watch the movie. She loved Sabrina though Audrey Hepburn was not her favorite actress. It was Humphrey Bogart she loved so much; with his adorable ignorance about his feelings.

“Hey.”

She looked over at Leo, who was now sitting next to her. Why did she seem to smile whenever he was around?

“I heard you’ve been tied up all day.” She whispered.

“I thought I would stop here and wind down a bit before heading home. The President is a sucker for romance classics.”

They both looked at the screen. Humphrey and Audrey in the boat; her singing Yes, We Have No Bananas. CJ thought she read somewhere once that the two of them didn’t get along in real life. Movie chemistry was an amazing thing.

“I guess you're not.” She said. “A sucker for romance classics, I mean.”

“I don’t know.”

They focused on the movie and tried not to listen as the President spit out useless Hollywood facts at Charlie. It was close to the end when Leo slipped his hand on top of CJ’s, entwining his fingers in hers. She turned her eyes toward him but he still watched the screen.

“You know, my car is still out of commission.” She whispered.

“Yeah? I think its too chilly to walk home tonight. My driver will take you.”

“Maybe we can snuggle in the backseat to keep warm.” She said, having no idea where that came from.

Leo didn’t say a word, but he rubbed her hand. Then he leaned closer.

“You smell fantastic.” He murmured as his lips grazed her neck.

“Eternity.” CJ’s voice cracked.

“Hmm.”

***

The next time was the following Tuesday and the major news story was the assassination attempt on the Ukrainian Ambassador and the possible repercussions in his home country. CJ was all over the map and she was taking a few minutes around six to breathe. She sat in her office, Carol on guard outside, as she munched on a salad and shared the day’s craziness with her beloved fish.

“I’m telling you Gail, the whole world is going to hell. Can you imagine what would happen if the Russians jumped into a civil war in the Ukraine?”

The door started to open.

“Carol, I said a half hour if it was possible.”

“Its Leo.”

She looked up as he came in and closed the door. Words failed her and that was a first. OK, it was not a first, but a rarity.

“I just need a small break. You can't send me out there with no food in me Leo, please.”

“Calm down, I’m not going to do that.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders drooped again. “What’s up?”

“I just came to see if you were alright.” He sat in the chair.

“I think so…I want to call a full lid at eight. The firestorm brewing in the Baltic will be there tomorrow.”

“Good idea. Are you alright?”

“Yeah.”

They were quiet for a while but CJ knew she was not going to continue her conversation with her goldfish. Not while the boss was sitting there looking at her with a weird, amused look on his face. The same boss that made her feel 16 whenever he was around lately.

“Come and sit on the couch with me.” He said, reaching his hand out.

CJ took his hand and walked over to the couch. They sat and Leo put his arm around her shoulder. She slid down, laying her head on his chest. What were they thinking; the bullpens were still full?

“Leo…”

“Shh. Carol is outside and no one is coming in and you need to relax because you have at least one more briefing tonight.”

“Don’t they need you…”

“Shh.”

OK, if he wanted quiet she would be quiet. CJ breathed a sigh when she felt his fingers run through her hair. It felt so good, to lie in his arms, too good. She wanted to get up and go back to her desk and her mediocre salad, but found it impossible. She wanted to speak but felt there was nothing to say.

“I don’t know what’s going on.” She finally managed.

“Nor me. Why don’t we just relax?”

Why don’t you just kiss me, CJ’s mind screamed. She slipped her arm around his waist and rubbed his stomach. Why did she do that? Leo smiled.

“You have a magic touch.” He said kissing her forehead.

Carol came on the intercom.

“CJ, Toby needs to come in now.”

They were not quick getting off the couch, as if they did something wrong, but they didn’t linger. Toby walked into the room and looked at them.

“Am I interrupting?” he asked.

“No. What do you need?” CJ asked.

She stole a glance at Leo, who was now behind Toby. He winked and walked out of the room.

***

They hit stormy weather on the way to Dallas almost four weeks later. The press was antsy, the senior staff was antsy, and the President was in a crabby mood. It seemed as if Leo and CJ danced all around Air Force One in an effort not to run into each other. They passed each other in the hallway just as the plane shook with force. CJ hit the wall and Leo came crashing on top of her, holding out his arms to keep from injuring her.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Well,” she said laughing. “Was it as good for you as it was for me Leo?”

She seemed to shrink under the power of his stare. There had been so many narrow escapes in the past month; at least CJ thought they were narrow escapes. She closed her eyes in anticipation as Leo moved in for the kill. He kissed her passionately but quickly, straightened himself, and walked away. CJ ran her fingers across her lips. Ignoring the thought of following him and doing anything involving reckless abandon, she went to her seat next to Toby.

“You OK?” he asked. “That was a nasty jolt.”

Toby was not overly fond of flying anyway.

“Yeah. I think it’s a safe idea to just stay here for the duration.”

Charlie dropped a note on her tabletop. CJ looked at him but he just shrugged. She opened it. ‘Have dinner with me, if we ever get off this damn plane. L’. She smiled and slipped it into her purse.

“What’s that about?” Toby asked.

“Oh, its from Donna. I need to check on the press.”

“Be careful CJ.”

“Yeah.”

She walked into the press sitting room. They all looked frazzled and some were chomping at the bit.

“How are we doing here?” she asked.

The plane shook a bit and she grabbed a seat to keep from falling.

“Mike threw up.” Katie said.

They all laughed. Mike Newsom was the new reporter from the Boston Globe.

“I’m sorry Mike, and I am sorry about the turbulence. It may take a little longer than planned to reach Dallas.”

“Is the President in a bad mood?” Arthur asked.

They all knew how the President got if the flight took too much longer than planned. He loved to fly at night but he liked to get there on time.

“This is not a briefing. I am going back to my seat people; we should be there within the hour.”

CJ bumped into Leo on the way back to her seat.

“Dinner?” he asked, placing his hands on her hips. It may have looked like he was keeping her steady if anyone walked by but she recognized the look in his eye.

“If we ever get off this plane.” She replied.

He smiled, releasing her to go back to her seat.

***

“Change of plans.” Leo said, catching up with CJ as she walked down the steps of Air Force One.

“Gee, I'm surprised by this turn of events Leo.”

“I have a meeting; that’s all I can say.”

“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for any information that I am not privy to yet or ever. Maybe we can do some other time…like when Bartlet leaves the White House.”

“Sounds like a plan. Meet me in the Rose Garden, January 2008. Wear that blue dress.”

She looked at him and smiled.

“You like the blue dress?” she asked.

“Yes I do.”

They split up, Leo going with the President and Sam holding the car door open for CJ.

“What’s on the plate for tonight?” she asked Sam.

“I don’t know. I figure we will just drink in someone’s room after that flight.”

CJ nodded.

“You coming with us?” he asked.

“I'm not sure. That plane ride took a lot out of me. We’ll see.”

She leaned back and closed her eyes.

“You OK CJ?”

“Umm hmm.”

CJ thought of Leo; the feeling of his hands on her hips. How his lips touched hers in their first kiss; how they felt when they grazed her neck. Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn…damn she didn’t want to be Audrey Hepburn.

“Yeah?” she opened her eyes when Sam touched her shoulder.

“We’re here.”

They got out of the car and Sam carried their bags into the hotel. CJ turned and saw Leo in a huddle with the President, Charlie standing nearby. Leo looked up and winked.

***

She was there, the door to the suite begging to be knocked upon. Suddenly she didn’t know what to do…felt foolish for even thinking that this was a good idea. Standing outside Leo McGarry’s door at 2:30 in the morning. What did she propose to do after he let her in? Would she seduce him or chicken out? Did he even want to be seduced? If she did, what would come of it?

Leo had been flirting with her too, right? Or was it something more? Could he possibly have feelings for her? By feelings CJ was not just talking about lust…she could get that with Danny Concannon. Could it be more than sex that was driving the two of them together?

“CJ?”

She whirled around and was face to face with him. Leo stood in the doorway wearing blue cotton pajama pants and no shirt; he held a room service tray. He wore the half smile that she realized was achingly attractive more than a month ago. The tray was placed on the ground near the door.

“Are you coming in?” he asked. “I am sure the Secret Service will wonder what you're doing standing in the hallway.”

Oh shit, she forgot about them. She looked up and down the hallway and though she didn’t see anyone she knew they were there. CJ nodded, temporarily speechless. Once the door closed behind her she knew there was only one way the night could end.

“I came by at 12:30, but I guess you weren’t back yet.” She finally said, following him into the living room.

“Yeah, the meeting ran over and I got back here about an hour ago.”

She was still nodding, standing on the fringes like a girl stood up on prom night. Leo studied her; her long legs and elegant neck. She massaged his shoulders once on the campaign trail, he couldn't stop thinking about it. If he closed his eyes and blocked out all sound he could remember the feeling of her fingers kneading his flesh.

“Leo, I…”

Leo kissed her before she could finish her sentence. It was a passionate kiss and it was never ending. She now knew that the attraction between them was not a figment of her sleep-deprived imagination. Pulling away, Leo’s fingers stroked her cheek. CJ closed her eyes.

“Are we going to dance around or do something about this?” he asked.

“About what?” she whispered.

He kissed her again, pulling CJ against him. She could feel his urgency, his need, and it turned her on.

“The feelings we have for each other.” He replied, toying with the buttons of her blouse.

CJ took his hand, leading him into the bedroom. It was funny because they undressed each other and climbed between the sheets as if they were longtime lovers and not trying something out for the first time. Leo enveloped her in his arms, making love to her mouth while his hands explored her body. Oh God, she was here, she was naked, and she moaned when he touched her. His hand caressed her tiny breast, squeezing it hard. CJ whimpered and arched her back.

“Did I hurt you?” he whispered.

She shook her head. Then she pushed him back on the bed. For some reason that made Leo laugh.

“I love your laugh.” CJ said as she threw the covers off and took a good look at his erection…not bad at all. “I don’t like covers.”

She climbed on top of him, grinding her pelvis on his. The noises they made sounded as if they were already making love. Leo closed his eyes.

“Condoms CJ.” He managed to say.

“Oh shit, my pocket.”

The romance was halted by the fiasco of finding her jeans in the dark and pulling the two condoms out. It broke the ice because, though neither was willing to admit it, they were scared of the outcome of this.

“I’m on the pill.” CJ said as she slid the condom down his penis.

“I haven’t had sex since Jenny.” Leo replied.

Even the mention of his ex-wife did not ruin the moment. CJ rolled over on her back, pulling Leo on top of her. For the first time she’d try missionary…see how much power he had behind him. Leo’s body slipped perfectly between her thighs and when he entered her she took a sharp breath in. for a moment he was still.

“What’s the matter?” she opened her eyes.

“Claudia, you are beautiful.” He said. “I want you so much.”

“Here I am.”

She wrapped her legs around him as he thrust into her. It had been a long time for both of them. CJ hadn’t gotten any since that asshole Tad Whitney, and he had been nothing to write home about. Leo lifted her thighs, pressing deeper.

“Yes.” She said through clenched teeth.

He did it again, slow strokes and thrusts until CJ grabbed hold of his face and brought it close to hers.

“Fuck me Leo! Fuck me now! I don’t have a lot of patience.”

Leo thrust again, building a rhythm until the dark room seemed to close in on them. CJ’s ears popped, always a good sign, and all she could hear was him grunting on top of her. He was talking, but she really had no idea what he was saying. She knew she made noises of her own, because it felt wonderful, but they were drowned out. Leo pushed, he groaned, and he climaxed. CJ had a quiet, yet effective orgasm. He rolled over, not wanting to crush her with his weight.

“You can do better than that Claudia Jean.” He said.

“What do you mean?”

Leo slipped his fingers between her legs and worked until she had multiple orgasms, which she didn’t think was at all possible from that form of foreplay. Then they lay in the room just breathing.

“Are you asleep?” she asked after an indeterminate amount of time.

“No, I’m listening to you breathe. I am glad you came tonight…I didn’t have the courage to come and find you.”

She turned on her side to look at him. The light from the living room was enough for her to see his face. He wore a content smile.

“Should I ask what’s happening between us?” CJ asked.

“Can I say that I fulfilled a fantasy with you.” He said.

“Is that all this was Leo…a fantasy?” her voice took on a defensive edge.

Leo pulled her close and caressed her face.

“No. I have a feeling that the real Claudia Jean Cregg trumps the fantasy by far.”

She smiled.

“This looks like a situation in which going with the flow is the best decision.” She said.

“I am not the hit and run type CJ, I believe you already knew that. My objective was not to get you in bed in Dallas. Having said that, I am a recovering alcoholic who rarely reveals his feelings and can be an enigma even to himself.”

“I think I knew I had feelings for you during the campaign.” She replied. “You would yell at us like a drill sergeant and then let these tiny glimpses of affection shine through. When we danced the night of the Illinois Primary…I thought you might have felt it too.”

“I walked you to your room, and it hurt to leave you there.” Leo said.

“So what are we doing?” she asked.

“I see that I won't be able to get away with grunts and vague answers with you.” Leo said laughing.

“Grunts are only allowed in the bedroom.” CJ replied. “Vague answers are unacceptable. If you don't know, tell me you don’t know.”

“Falling in love.” He answered without a breath. ‘Any objections Claudia Jean?”

“How? When? I don’t know…”

Leo covered her lips with his fingers and then kissed her.

“Tomorrow we will talk; tonight I want to hold you.”

CJ nodded, resting her cheek on his chest. She let the anxiety go and breathed a sigh as she wrapped her arms around him.

“Can I just say one more thing?” she asked.

Leo laughed softly.

“As if I could ever stop you.” He replied.

“This feels right Leo; and I don’t know if I am jinxing it or something. Tonight was…there are no words for tonight.”

“There are three words actually, but we will talk about it in the morning. Get some sleep CJ.”

They kissed again and let sleep overtake them. It was the best sleep either had in months.

***


End file.
